Gutted, mapping :(

[stevieturbo]

MyM8V8 said:

Well its a good job the ECU WASN'T locked then and the guy can get some help???

(for the avoidance of doubt my argument is for the ECU NOT to be locked, especially in the above case)

Edited by MyM8V8 on Monday 29th December 13:02

I do agree with you in almost all cases as generally I would not agree with locking

But if ecu's were locked so idiots like that couldnt get access to tunes, then that problem wouldnt...or shouldnt occur so easily.

So it's the free access for all, that has caused the problem if that's all they have done, but yes it may also offer a solution at the same time.

Obviously you'd need to be sure that is exactly what has been done. As I'm sure many here will have taken other tunes and maybe used them as a base or adapted them to their own car. It is possible that is what the "tuner" did here also.
Unless it can be proven 99.99% that it literally is a generic copied file with almost no changes

[ArnieVXR]

For the avoidance of doubt, manufacturers go to great lengths these days to stop people accessing and/or changing their 'tunes'. I guess this is for a number of practical reasons (warranty, emissions compliance, etc). I imagine that the tune is their intellectual property and there would be a fuss if another manufacturer copied it and sold it as their own (happens a lot in China with other parts if the car).

As for whether or not a map is locked, I think it needs to be part of the purchasing terms and conditions, so agreed upfront. If a map is unlocked I'd say you forfeit any protection against faulty workmanship AND would have to accept that the tuner holds title to the map.

My advice is to put a bit more effort in and have the map properly constructed over the course of a day on a rolling road.

[KMud]

I think if you know (and care) if it's locked, then you should ensure it isn't.

An LS7 tune applied wholesale to an LS2 is a fking joke, I would be livid if that's correct.

[MyM8V8]

ArnieVXR said:

For the avoidance of doubt, manufacturers go to great lengths these days to stop people accessing and/or changing their 'tunes'. I guess this is for a number of practical reasons (warranty, emissions compliance, etc). I imagine that the tune is their intellectual property and there would be a fuss if another manufacturer copied it and sold it as their own (happens a lot in China with other parts if the car)..

Maybe for the Germans et al, but for GM, IIRC, it has given HPT and Efilive plenty of help via the back door to get at the tunes. And why wouldn't they? The GM aftermarket for engines and performance parts must be worth $billions. Without safe access to tuning, their aftermarket would be worth ziltch and we would all be the worse for it. So hats off to GM and HPT/Efilve for allowing us to indulge ourselves. Most of us know the risks in stretching the envelope before starting off, and there will always be idiots and charlatans for us to avoid along the way.

ArnieVXR said:

As for whether or not a map is locked, I think it needs to be part of the purchasing terms and conditions, so agreed upfront. If a map is unlocked I'd say you forfeit any protection against faulty workmanship AND would have to accept that the tuner holds title to the map.

A good tuner will know enough about your car (and you) to give the best advice about what is safe and what he will guarantee, and outside of that, what you will take the risk on. So my advice is to go to one who has a specialist history and track record. What you think may be expensive at the time, might well prove cheaper in the end. If he's honest he will tell you that he is locking you out of your car and why.

Not all tuning can be done on the dyno, roadwork is an integral part necessary to complete the tables in the tune. I'd shy away from one who says he can do it all on a dyno. Dynos' are great for spark tables, but tuning for VE takes roadwork IMO.

(Self tuners also know that a detailed custom tune is never finished)

Monkfish do not lock you out of your car, and for me, that speaks volumes about who you are dealing with.

Edited by MyM8V8 on Tuesday 30th December 01:27

[stevieturbo]

MyM8V8 said:

Monkfish do not lock you out of your car, and for me, that speaks volumes about who you are dealing with.

Not really.

As most tuners dont lock you out, there would be far fewer who deliberately lock people out, than lock them.

But the other aspect is, quite a lot of OEM ecu tuning software simply doesnt allow single user access which is a different thing. If they wanted to purchase the full dealer software then they too could have full access.
But most people getting a simple flash upgrade have no need or want for that.

It just so happens that as the market is so large in the US, HPT and EFILive make hacking into locked GM ecu's very cheap and easy.